Angela Rayner faces hypocrisy claims over £800,000 seaside flat purchase

Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy prime minister and housing secretary, has sparked controversy after purchasing a three-bedroom seaside flat in Hove for £800,000.

Newspapers report that the acquisition, made earlier this year, adds to her property portfolio, which already includes a constituency home in Ashton-under-Lyne, valued at £650,000, and access to a grace-and-favour apartment in Westminster’s Admiralty House.

The purchase has drawn sharp criticism from Conservative MPs, who accuse her of hypocrisy given Labour’s recent push to impose higher taxes on second home ownership.

Rayner faces questions

Tory critics, including shadow housing secretary James Cleverly, have raised ‘glaring questions’ about Rayner’s living arrangements, particularly as Labour supports policies like the second-home council tax premium, which doubles the tax on properties not used as primary residences.

This policy, implemented in April, means Rayner’s Hove flat incurs an annual council tax bill of £5,000, which a source close to her confirmed she pays in full.

However, Mr Cleverly questioned whether she has been transparent about paying the same premium on her Admiralty House apartment or if she claims a single-person discount on her constituency home, which could reduce its council tax to £3,682.

Sources close to Rayner defended the purchase and told newspapers that the Hove flat is necessary for her work across several locations, including Westminster, which is more than 50 miles away.

They clarified that the property, bought with a mortgage in May, will not be rented out or used as a holiday let, meaning it is likely to remain empty for at least six months each year. The sources also confirmed that Ms Rayner’s primary residence is her Ashton-under-Lyne home.

Bought council homes

This isn’t the first time Ms Rayner’s property purchases have hit the headlines.

She was previously dubbed ‘Two Homes Rayner’ for managing two right-to-buy council properties during her marriage.

Ms Rayner also faced accusations of hypocrisy over her use of the Right-to-Buy scheme, which she later defended proudly.

A recent biography by Lord Ashcroft revealed she made a £48,500 profit selling her former Stockport council house, purchased at a 25% discount in 2007.

The fresh revelations about her Hove flat have reignited Tory demands for clarity on her tax arrangements, with Cleverly saying: “For months, she has dodged correspondence and evaded parliamentary questions. Only now, under pressure, has she been forced to set out part of the picture.”